Over the next few posts I will be posting a paper I wrote. I hope you enjoy.
Issue
Throughout church history there has been a dilemma of how to reconcile God’s complete sovereignty and the responsibility that we as humans have for our own actions. We still face this dilemma today. In our human mind these ideas seem to be at opposite ends of the spectrum and diametrically opposed to each other. The question is, if God is completely sovereign how can we as humans be held responsible for our actions? If God decrees what our actions will be how then can we be condemned for them?
We must first begin by defining what God’s sovereignty is and what human responsibility is. Let us first define sovereignty. Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines sovereign as “Supreme in power; possessing supreme dominion; as a sovereign ruler of the universe.”[1] God has created the universe and everything that is in it (Gen 1:1, Ps 24:1, Col 1:16). As Creator He is in control and has authority over everything that He has made (Rom 9:21) and He does whatever He wants for His own pleasure (Isa 46:10).
Now we must define human responsibility. Webster defines responsibility as “The state of being accountable or answerable.”[2] Dr. John Frame defines human responsibility as “…a consequence of God’s authority. God has made us according to his plan and for his purpose. That purpose is to glorify him, to please him.”[3]
We must work through the issue of God’s sovereignty and our responsibility prayerfully and thoughtfully. This is not a theological issue for the faint of heart, but it must be addressed. We must look at God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility in light of Scripture.
